Japan to get untranslated US games?

[Half Japanese]

I saw this news story on Gamespot:

http://www.gamespot.com/all/news/news_6080952.html

Basically they're taking pretty big US titles like Simpsons: Hit and Run, Buffy: Chaos Bleeds and several others and releasing them untranslated in the Japanese market. Of course that doesn't help the Xbox to blend in any more than it already isn't, but it is a novel idea. Why won't some company take that kind of chance here and release some older JP games over here like that? By not translating them you're cutting down the costs to almost nothing other than licensing and distribution. Think about it, things like shooters and action games would make great shoo-ins for this type of thing...

[VACRMH]

Why won't some company take that kind of chance here and release some older JP games over here like that? By not translating them you're cutting down the costs to almost nothing other than licensing and distribution. Think about it, things like shooters and action games would make great shoo-ins for this type of thing...

XS Games has. Except they cut out the text all together.

[ubersaurus]

I don't think its a big deal...A number of american TV shows shown over there are either subtitled or shown in plain english (although they do have the crappy dubjob, just as we do here). After all, they don't dub in english voices for all of their releases here, I fail to see why we shouldn't do the same :P

[badinsults]

Many US games don't get translated to Japanese. I have a cart of Populous which has no Japanese in it whatsoever. Some Japanese made games don't even have Japanese in them, Like Human Gran Prix (sorry for only SFC examples).

[E Nice]

I saw this news story on Gamespot:

http://www.gamespot.com/all/news/news_6080952.html

Basically they're taking pretty big US titles like Simpsons: Hit and Run, Buffy: Chaos Bleeds and several others and releasing them untranslated in the Japanese market.

I wonder if they'll think Willow's VA is any good the way people here think Japanese VA are good despite not understanding the language. :hmm:

[zmweasel]

I saw this news story on Gamespot:

http://www.gamespot.com/all/news/news_6080952.html

Basically they're taking pretty big US titles like Simpsons: Hit and Run, Buffy: Chaos Bleeds and several others and releasing them untranslated in the Japanese market.

I wonder if they'll think Willow's VA is any good the way people here think Japanese VA are good despite not understanding the language. :hmm:

Game critic David Smith gave an excellent explanation of why he prefers subtitles to shoddy dubs in a Xenosaga preview for ps2.ign.com (http://ps2.ign.com/articles/380/380216p2.html):

"Should the game have been left in the original Japanese? Well, if I were in charge of the world, it would be -- in part because I'm a rabid geek, but mostly because I know that the followers of this game are also rabid geeks, and would in the main prefer the Japanese voices.

"Yes, that preference is basically irrational, because there's no way for me (or the vast majority of American fans) to properly judge the quality of Japanese acting. For all I know, the original voice acting in the Japanese version is terrible, and it's merely ignorance that makes me like it more than the American voices.

"But as it is, synthesizing emotional content from Japanese voices with factual content from English subtitles would still -- from my admittedly irrational perspective, at least -- result in a more satisfying experience than getting it all together from lackluster English voices."

-- Z.

[Kid Fenris]

Game critic David Smith gave an excellent explanation of why he prefers subtitles to shoddy dubs in a Xenosaga preview for ps2.ign.com (http://ps2.ign.com/articles/380/380216p2.html):

"Should the game have been left in the original Japanese? Well, if I were in charge of the world, it would be -- in part because I'm a rabid geek, but mostly because I know that the followers of this game are also rabid geeks, and would in the main prefer the Japanese voices.

"Yes, that preference is basically irrational, because there's no way for me (or the vast majority of American fans) to properly judge the quality of Japanese acting. For all I know, the original voice acting in the Japanese version is terrible, and it's merely ignorance that makes me like it more than the American voices.

"But as it is, synthesizing emotional content from Japanese voices with factual content from English subtitles would still -- from my admittedly irrational perspective, at least -- result in a more satisfying experience than getting it all together from lackluster English voices."

-- Z.

Smith makes a cogent point, but there are times when Japanese voices annoy me as much as English ones, even though it's usually because of the excruciatingly high-pitched tones that Japanese voice actresses often give female characters. I actually prefer the low-end acting in the English version of Burning Rangers, on account of Yuko Miyamura's piercing and shrill performance in the Japanese edition. Go figure.

Besides, Smith is insane. He once jokingly demanded the executions of ADV Films personnel just because of the cover they gave Sakura Diaries. Nick Rox has nothing on the Rev.

[zmweasel]

Smith makes a cogent point, but there are times when Japanese voices annoy me as much as English ones, even though it's usually because of the excruciatingly high-pitched tones that Japanese voice actresses often give female characters. I actually prefer the low-end acting in the English version of Burning Rangers, on account of Yuko Miyamura's piercing and shrill performance in the Japanese edition. Go figure.

Besides, Smith is insane. He once jokingly demanded the executions of ADV Films personnel just because of the cover of Sakura Diaries. Nick Rox has nothing on the Rev.

I hear ya 'bout the whiny Japanese females. WD VP Victor Ireland regretted staying too close to the Japanese Ruby during the localization of Lunar 2 for the Sega CD, and he made a concerted effort to tone her down for the PS1 remake.

I've never spoken to the painfully thin Rev. Dr. in person, although I did shoot him an angry email regarding his review of Vanguard Bandits. Smith complained about not being able to turn off the battle animations, but we'd added the feature during the localization process; he'd missed it in the typical rush-to-review. I've since forgiven him, having made similar boo-boos a couple of times myself.

-- Z.

[Kid Fenris]

I've never spoken to the painfully thin Rev. Dr. in person, although I did shoot him an angry email regarding his review of Vanguard Bandits. Smith complained about not being able to turn off the battle animations, but we'd added the feature during the localization process; he'd missed it in the typical rush-to-review. I've since forgiven him, having made similar boo-boos a couple of times myself.

-- Z.

From what I recall, Smith caught similar heat over his Fear Effect 2 review, in which he griped about the Resident Evil controls, even though the game lets you select an improved "3D" form of movement. Still, I think that what really pissed off FE2 creator Stan Liu was Smith's condemnation of the game as vapid, exploitive drivel. That, and Smith's use of the phrase "metal insect cunnilingus."

All the same, I liked Smith's reviews and eccentricities, and I thought it a shame when IGN fired him due to his negative (yet honest) opinions costing the company precious ad dollars.

[zmweasel]

All the same, I liked Smith's reviews and eccentricities, and I thought it a shame when IGN fired him due to his negative (yet honest) opinions costing the company precious ad dollars.

As I learned during a chat with IGN editor David Perry a while back, it was both Smith's unique way of alienating game companies, AND his unique way of alienating his IGN superiors, that led to his dismissal. He was the most -- the ONLY -- talented writer at IGN, and he let everyone know it. Even Smith himself admits to having no social skills.

The good news is that IGN's loss was ZD's gain. Smith even penned a typically ultra-hardcore review of the new Mobile Suit Gundam game for the latest issue of OPM (in which he also has an anime-DVD column).

-- Z.

[GaijinPunch]

The novelty of English in Japan goes a lot further than the novelty of Japanese in English -- especially for menus which the average Japanese high school student will probably know... and can look up in the case he can't. I don't think it'll make a huge impact either way.

As for English TV shows that are shown unsubbed/undubbed in japan -- they don't exist... at least not on TV. Most new shows (9 out of 10) shown on non-cable stations are bilingual. You can switch the audio channel to either English or Japanese. On cable, they're either bilingual, or subtitled. There are zero raw-shows on Japanese TV... even cable. If there are, it's a fluke, not commonplace.

I think the US market is a long way away from getting subtitled games, but it would be nice I think -- much more pure/original that way.

[petewhitley]

As for English TV shows that are shown unsubbed/undubbed in japan -- they don't exist... at least not on TV. Most new shows (9 out of 10) shown on non-cable stations are bilingual. You can switch the audio channel to either English or Japanese. On cable, they're either bilingual, or subtitled. There are zero raw-shows on Japanese TV... even cable. If there are, it's a fluke, not commonplace.

There are several "raw" English channels available on satellite, no doubt aimed squarely at foreigners, but no doubt viewed at times by bilingual Japanese.

[GaijinPunch]

There are several "raw" English channels available on satellite, no doubt aimed squarely at foreigners, but no doubt viewed at times by bilingual Japanese.


Satellite company? Channel? I have Sky Perfect... the only satellite company left in Japan, and I've yet to see something that wasn't understandable by the Japanese-only speaker, whether it be subtitles or dubbed.

[petewhitley]

Satellite company? Channel? I have Sky Perfect... the only satellite company left in Japan, and I've yet to see something that wasn't understandable by the Japanese-only speaker, whether it be subtitles or dubbed.

Hmmm, it's been a good year and a half since I've had PerfectTV, but I clearly recall Fox News Channel/Bloomberg/etc. broadcast without a Japanese language track at the time. Could have changed since...

[Achika]

I think the US market is a long way away from getting subtitled games, but it would be nice I think -- much more pure/original that way.

The only one I can recall right now is Onimusha which allowed you to change between English or Japanese spoken dialogue. I started out playing it in English and thought it was so horrendeous, that I ended up not playing for too long and taking it back. Later, a friend told me that you could switch the dialog. It made it SO much better. I suppose what I'm saying is, it's out there....but not too much.

[Kid Fenris]

I think the US market is a long way away from getting subtitled games, but it would be nice I think -- much more pure/original that way.

A number of Atlus games allow players to select English or Japanese voices. Skygunner, Rhapsody, and Disgaea all exhibit this feature, from what I remember. The same goes for Soul Calibur II.

There are also numerous examples of game companies subtitling Japanese voices just because they didn't want to go through the trouble of recording them in English. Psychic Force 2012, Panzer Dragoon Saga, Tech Romancer, Guilty Gear X2, and (I think) Rival Schools all have Japanese voice-overs and no equivalent English tracks.

[GaijinPunch]

Hmmm, it's been a good year and a half since I've had PerfectTV, but I clearly recall Fox News Channel/Bloomberg/etc. broadcast without a Japanese language track at the time. Could have changed since...

Fox News isn't in the base package anymore... and I'll be damned if I'm going to pay for it. Only watched it a handful of times anyway. CNN has everything either subttiled, or a real-time interpreter. I think BBC has the same. Bloomberg, I'm not sure of as I never watch it (I work in securities, and like to leave work at work) but I was under the impression they did damn near everything in the langauge of the land. They've got af full-fledged Bloomberg TV station here as well... got a few friends that work there.

Even so -- these aren't really for 'entertainment' purposes though, eh?

Back to the games w/ E/J abilities... there are a few. Anything "International" usually has English and Japanese videos. One game that I thought WOULD be bilingual (and wasn't) was HALO... and there was just something wrong w/ that.

[ubersaurus]

I think the US market is a long way away from getting subtitled games, but it would be nice I think -- much more pure/original that way.

The only one I can recall right now is Onimusha which allowed you to change between English or Japanese spoken dialogue. I started out playing it in English and thought it was so horrendeous, that I ended up not playing for too long and taking it back. Later, a friend told me that you could switch the dialog. It made it SO much better. I suppose what I'm saying is, it's out there....but not too much.

Sonic Adventure, and I believe, Sonic Adventure 2 were the same way.

And then you got the other side of the spectrum-Space Channel 5 is far better in english.

[jonjandran]

Sonic Adventure, and I believe, Sonic Adventure 2 were the same way.
.

Yea my kids got a kick out of changing it to Japanese and then listening to it.
It took me forever to change it back. I couldn't figure out which menu changed the Language back. @_@